Typical electrical busways are an electrical distribution track that is comprised of an elongated housing containing a plurality of electrically isolated conductive busbars encased in an insulator. Sections of busway can be joined together to form runs for power distribution. When two sections of busway are joined, an electrical connection between the two separate sections is made by a connector body unit. The connector body unit acts as a bridge between the two separate sections of busway.
Standard power modules with plug-in units are designed for insertion into the electrical busway for electrical engagement with the busbars. The standard power modules are appendages to the electrical busway sections and have a significant form factor. A problem that exists in the art is that the power module having a plug-in unit is not integrated into the profile of the electrical busway. The prior art appendage approach increases the overall footprint of the electrical busway in combination with the power module having the plug-in unit.
Typical busway systems are designed to be suspended from ceilings by way of hanger bolts and cable wire or threaded rod. Alternatively, busway systems are run under raised floors by means of elaborate mounting plates attached to stands. Usually, the busway system has a separate channel in the profile of the housing in which the hanging hardware is located. Hanging hardware is typically a metal plate with an attached weld stud to which a coupling nut is attached. The coupling nut provides a connection point for the threaded rod or cable wire. Another problem that exists in the art is that electrical busways cannot be attached directly to a mounting surface such as a wall, floor or ceiling with fasteners. The electrical busways are suspended or use elaborate mounting hardware which increases the overall footprint of the electrical busway when coupled to the mounting surface.
In the prior art, single channel surface raceways have a general U-shaped configuration. The channel is mounted in such a way that the opening of the U is horizontal with a horizon. Covers, which may be blank or contain receptacles and breakers or a combination of the two, are snapped onto the open side of the U to enclose the surface raceway. Connections to the receptacles and breakers are made by running individual wires or sets of wires to the receptacles and/or breakers.
Since individual wires are needed for every receptacle and breaker, the number of wires and, thus, the number of units is limited to the physical size of the channel. Adding, moving or removing ports means that the individual wires must be added, modified or removed adding labor and downtime costs for changes made to the surface raceway.
Universal Electric B60 electrical busway is a typical construction of an electrical busway. The track busway housing consists of an extruded aluminum outer shell with PVC insulated copper conductor strips mounted on either or both of the two interior side walls depending on if it is a two or four pole configuration. Each housing section has an open access slot over its entire length for insertion of turn and lock electrical power modules having plug-in units. Track busway housings are connected together using a power module having a plug-in unit and plate or wrap around type housing connector. Power modules having the plug-in units are external to the track sections, including a sheet metal enclosure with a different form factor than the track itself.
The Universal Electric B60 electric busway is designed to be suspended from ceiling I-beams or ceiling trusses and occasionally under raised floors by means of mounting plates attached to stands. This attachment is accomplished through the use of hanger bolts that slide into a channel located on top of the B60 electric busway. Occasionally, the need arises to mount the electric busway to a vertical surface such as a wall. In these cases, angle irons may be employed to accomplish the task. The vertical portion of the angle iron is attached to the wall using appropriate fasteners. The electric busway is then attached to the horizontal portion of the angle iron in the same manner as if it were being suspended from an I-beam or ceiling truss. Attaching the electric busway in this manner to the vertical wall leaves a gap between the vertical wall and the side of the electric busway.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide individual power modules for an electrical busway that may be inserted into the electrical busway at any point along the electrical busway.
It is, therefore, also desirable to provide individual power modules for an electrical busway that are integrated into the profile of the electrical busway.
It is, therefore, additionally desirable to provide individual power modules for an electrical busway that may be removed from the electrical busway and reinserted into the electrical busway at any point along the electrical busway.
It is, therefore, also desirable to provide an electrical busway that may be attached directly to a mounting surface such as a wall, floor or ceiling for example.
Accordingly, there is room for improvement in electrical busways and power modules that improve upon the systems described above.